AT&T Rochester Civic App Challenge launches

AT&T Inc. launched the AT&T Rochester Civic App Challenge on Thursday. It is two-month virtual hackathon being conducted along with sponsors the Rochester Institute of Technology, Digital Rochester, High Tech Rochester Inc., and Hack Upstate.

Developers are expected to build smartphone apps that serve the community, with top winners able to receive prizes amounting to $18,000.

The challenge runs until April 23 and was announced at RIT’s Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity. A 24-hour organizing hackathon begins at 6 p.m. Friday.

“AT&T's commitment to Rochester’s tech sector grows out of our company’s multibillion dollar nationwide investment in the mobile communications network of the future,” said Marissa Shorenstein, New York president of AT&T, in a statement.

“By encouraging Rochester students and career technologists to explore smartphone software development, we are spotlighting the enormous demand for developers and engineers needed to create the software that will drive our mobile economy,” she said.